Lebron James won a “Razzie” from the Golden Raspberry Award Foundation (GRAF) for acting as Himself in Space Jam: A New Legacy.
The Academy Awards weren’t the only award show this weekend. GRAF held its 42nd Golden Raspberry awards on Saturday. Known as “the Razzies”, GRAF awards to the worst films of the year right before the Academy Awards.
Known more for his on-the-court complaining and his off-the-court buffoonery, Lebron actually won two different Razzies. In addition to his “Worst Actor” distinction, Lebron James won a “razzie” for “Worst Onscreen Couple” for James’s scenes with “any Warner cartoon character (or Time-Warner Product) he dribbles on”.
Yes, this was the actual designation on the nomination list.
Space Jam: A New Legacy also took home the Razzie for “Worst Remake, Rip-Off Or Sequel”.
Our Take…
Talk about a self-own!
It probably didn’t help that Space Jam: A New Legacy couldn’t hold a candle to the original featuring Michael Jordan. The original featured Jordan and other NBA “GOATs” in it. the movie leveraged Jordan’s return to basketball and some pretty funny commercials he did with the Looney Tunes for Nike and McDonald’s. It felt fresh and original. Most importantly, it was funny.
In Space Jam: A New Legacy, Lebron had no one else in his sequel. It was about LeBron worrying that his son would be terrible at basketball and highlighted how bad of a father he was for not supporting his son’s interests. It felt self-serving and stale. Like Lebron was trying to be Jordan, and falling flat.
If James is trying to out-Jordan Jordan, he’s failing miserably. Jordan was universally loved on and off the court. He rarely waded into controversy, and rarely embarrassed himself publicly.
We can’t say the same for Lebron. While Lebron James won a “Razzie” for acting as himself, he’s winning the equivalent of a “Razzie” for other public activity. James’s hypocritical social-justice stances conveniently leave out China because he and the NBA are in bed with the authoritarian nation. And, who can forget how he thinks he should give advice to police on their behavior?
Lebron should take a hint: he’ll never be as universally loved as Michael Jordan. So, don’t even try.
